"If we are ever going to get a handle on this problem, we have to outlaw all of them. Then, if any of them out there, we know it's illegal. There's no question," Police Chief Kelly McMillin said.

The police and fire chiefs say they don't have the manpower to enforce a fireworks ban in addition to regular emergency calls in July.

The Salinas Police Department should have 155 officers, but they only have enough money for 122. It's a similar problem for the fire department---with 97 firefighters authorized and only enough funds to hire 65 firefighters.

Of course, fireworks also serve as a fundraiser for community organizations. Nonprofits and schools depend on the money raised from fireworks sales to run sports programs and extracurricular activities.

Many people also spoke out against the ban of safe and sane fireworks because it would be punishing children.

"You'll have kids on the street because they can't play baseball, they can't play softball, they can't play soccer," one Salinas resident said at the podium.

But the fire and police chief wouldn't budge, saying it's is too hard to differentiate the legal fireworks from the illegal on the Fourth of July.

"We are the ones that have to enforce what ordinances and codes we have in place,” Salinas Fire Chief Edmond Rodriguez said. “I think we've done a good job tonight saying we cannot conduct business as usual."

The council did not make a decision but said they will set a date for a special community meeting to get more feedback from the public sometime in a couple of weeks.